NEWSEuropean airline leaders criticize EU lethargy Major European airline leaders warned the European Union (EU) Thursday to put its house in order if the continent's carriers can help stimulate growth in the recession-battered region. The CEOs of 34 Assn. of European Airlines (AEA) carriers delivered their message to European Commission VP-Transport Siim Kallas at the AEA Presidents' Assembly in the Belgian capital.
LinkA330 production increase hinges on ETS solution
A planned production rate increase of the Airbus A330 depends on Europe resolving the global dispute over aviation carbon emission fees. Briefing media in Toulouse, France on Wednesday, Airbus EVP-programs Tom Williams said the plan is to take A330 production up to 11 per month in 2014 from about nine per month this year. The manufacturer has 1,199 firm orders for the A330 and a backlog of 328 aircraft.
LinkMalaysia 1Q losses slightly improved; plans to raise $800 million in Islamic bonds
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) reported a first-quarter after-tax loss of MYR171 million ($54.3 million), slightly improved from a MYR242 million loss for the same period last year. MAS said the improved results were “despite higher jet fuel price averaging $135 per barrel during the quarter compared to $120 per barrel in the previous year,” according to a statement.
LinkA380 cracks fixes to start early next year
Modifications to repair wing rib cracks on in-service Airbus A380s will begin in the first quarter of 2013 and the composite material at the root of the problem will no longer be used on new-production aircraft delivered from 2014. The cracks issue, discovered early this year, resulted from a carbon fiber-aluminum material known as 7449 that was used in A380 wing rib feet construction. The material was selected because it is both lightweight and strong, but it is now known that it becomes brittle during the production tempering process. Although the problem did not show up on computer modeling during the A380’s design and development or on demonstrator aircraft, it is now known that the material is affected by natural up and down wing movements during flight and also by extreme temperature variances.
LinkAirbus A380 Wing Flaws May Cost USD$629 MlnAirbus said efforts to lower the weight of the world's largest airliner lay behind recent A380 wing component cracks and pledged to learn from mistakes, as repair costs looked set to climb towards EUR€500 million (USD$629 million).
LinkAirbus admits no quick-fix for A380 wing-rib crack issue Airbus is expecting up to 120 A380s to be delivered before the permanent fix for the wing-rib bracket cracking problem on the type is fully in place. The airframer detailed its proposed solution during a briefing in Toulouse. Its initial retrofit, for aircraft already in service, centres on 23 hybrid ribs mounted in the more lightly-loaded sections of each wing.
LinkAirAsia In USD$4 Bln Talks For 50 Airbus A320sAirAsia is studying a potential USD$4 billion deal to buy another 50 Airbus A320 passenger jets, its founder said on Thursday, extending the budget carrier's dramatic growth, months after it placed a record order for 200.
LinkAir France Outlines Plans To Return To Growth
Air France said it will reduce staff numbers and its short-haul and medium-haul fleet in an effort to cut costs and return the airline to growth in the face of rising competition and fuel bills.
LinkAirbus Says A350 Schedule 'Tight But Feasible'Airbus's target to get the A350, its next new passenger jet, ready in time for delivery in the first half of 2014 is "tight but it remains feasible", the head of the European aircraft project said on Thursday.
LinkJet Airways Posts Fifth Quarterly Loss
Jet Airways posted a fifth straight quarterly loss on Thursday, as the leading Indian carrier continued to bear the brunt of high fuel costs and intense competition.
LinkChangi Cargo Volume Continues To DropSingapore's Changi Airport, the second biggest in Asia, reported a steeper decline in cargo volumes and slower passenger traffic growth amid an uncertain global economy.
LinkUK CAA extends EASA pilot licensing deadlineThe UK Civil Aviation Authority has extended the 1 July deadline for the issue of European Aviation Safety Agency licences to 17 September. The delay is necessary for logistical reasons, says the CAA, because "more than 20,000 national licences will have to be converted during the period; this is in addition to the Joint Aviation Regulation (JAR) licences that will have to be replaced with EASA licences on expiry or amendment". The licence documents have to be physically replaced.
LinkThrane aims to expand airborne internet accessFlight and cabin crew may soon have the sort of internet connectivity that ground-based workers take for granted in their offices, thanks to antennae and equipment miniaturisation by Thrane & Thrane. The Danish communications systems maker, which is being acquired by Cobham through a share offer that values the company at $432 million, believes its system overcomes cost, weight and even aerodynamic drag issues to allow airlines to offer their staff satellite phone calls and "office-in-the-sky" internet access, even if the cost equation keeps passengers largely cut off while in flight.
LinkGE Aviation turboprop engine is ready for orders, executive saysGE Aviation says its CPX38 turboprop engine is ready for manufacturers to order. "Obviously, the next step is that we're looking for an airframe.... We have been talking with all of the air framers on the turboprop side," said Allen Paxson, a GE Aviation general manager.
LinkBill that would ease satellite exports is introduced in SenateA measure that would make it easier for U.S. commercial satellite makers to export their products overseas was introduced this week in the U.S. Senate. The Safeguarding United States Leadership and Security Act, which mirrors a similar bill introduced in the House, would move oversight of exports from the State Department to the Commerce Department.
LinkDARPA grant launches plan for travel to another solar systemThe "100 Year Starship" study has been launched with a grant of $500,000 from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and it has an otherworldly goal: to send astronauts to another solar system. Led by former astronaut Mae Jemison, the study will gather experts to begin work on the obstacles that stand in the way of such ambitious flight, which is impossible with today's technology.
LinkDOT is looking during search-engine test at DeltaThe Department of Transportation is investigating fare discrepancies at Delta Air Lines after calls from travel advocacy groups. The carrier's test of a new search engine resulted in frequent fliers seeing different fares than other customers over an approximately three-week period. Delta says it was testing the search engine as part of an overhaul of its website. Delta's vice president of e-commerce, Bob Kupbens, says the new search engine displayed less-desirable connections or flight times, which had lower fares. Delta halted the test of the search engine May 9.
LinkTSA says scanners, pat-downs may detect underwear bombsTransportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole said the TSA's advanced imaging scanners have "the best chance" of detecting underwear bombs. "This is not 100% guaranteed," he said. "If it comes down to a terrorist who has a well-concealed device, and we have no intelligence about him, and he comes to an advanced-imaging technology machine, it is still our best technology." Pistole said the TSA has developed mockups of an underwear bomb and is training agents how to detect such bombs via pat-downs. "If done properly, it may be found," he said.
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